Near its inception, Sleeping At Last's amateur debut album, Capture, was noticed by Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, who helped expose the music to the major-label world. Soon after, the band signed to Interscope Records and released 2003's Ghosts , their first official full-length album. Two independently-released full-length records followed: 2006's Keep No Score and 2009's Storyboards . In between the writing and recording of albums, the band has established a reputation for a pitch-perfect live show, successfully headlining several U.S. tours and sharing the stage with such artists as Switchfoot, Yellowcard, Something Corporate, Billy Corgan's Zwan, Alanis Morrisette, Lifehouse, and Phantom Planet, just to name a few. The creative process has always been protected, as the band self-produced each record, working with respected mixers such as John Goodmanson and Alan Moulder.
After the departure of drummer Chad O'Neal in 2011, the remaining duo embarked on the ambitious Yearbook project, in which O'Neal and Perdue released three songs on the first of every month in individual EPs. After its completion, all EPs were compiled into an LP and published independently. However, upon the final release of the Yearbook series, Perdue stepped down from the duo, leaving Ryan O'Neal a solo artist under the group's pre-existing moniker.
On December 10, 2012, O'Neal announced his largest project to date: the Atlas series, a three-part project approaching the themes of the origins of the universe and human development. Similar to 2011's Yearbook compilation, each set of new songs would be released as individual EPs until each part's completion, at which time the compilation of songs would be released as an LP. Up to now, 2014's Atlas I and 2019's Atlas II remain as stellar examples of O'Neal's accomplishments as a solo independent artist. Production on Atlas III is in progress, and its first two songs, "Overture III" and "Awake" have been released as singles.
Besides the Atlas series, O'Neal has kept busy with other projects, including three albums of covers commissioned by ABC's "Grey's Anatomy", in which Sleeping At Last has appeared a whopping 77 times. Sleeping At Last also produced the scores for the documentaries Many Beautiful Things (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) and charity:water's The Spring (Original Score). Finally, O'Neal has released multiple singles surrounding significant astronomical events, published as a compilation in 2020 under the title of Astronomy, Vol. 1.
Sleeping At Last has long been a beacon shining brightly on behalf of independent artists. In the ever-changing climate of the music industry, the quest for a successful independent career seems evermore difficult to attain. From his new home in L.A., O'Neal pursues this challenge relentlessly through his commitment to musical integrity in his songwriting, and in this way nurtures a unique and personal relationship with his listeners. He has remained true to the things that brought him to music in the first place: his love of melody and the power of words. His music and lyrics emerge from a place that is honest, raw, and spiritual: Says Ryan, "Our faith is a big part of who we are, but we have always intended our music to be for anyone that cares to listen, no matter who they are or what they believe in. Everyone hears a song in a different light."
In keeping with this, Ryan's lyrics ask every important question that occurs. While he promises no fast, sure answers, he somehow always offers hope as the consistent, overarching theme.
Unmade
Sleeping at Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
our words were innocent -
whiter than snow,
awkward and slow.
now when we speak,
we risk an avalanche.
but that's not enough now
to reroute our plans.
i believe that we've got it wrong, got it wrong.
we'll realize when it's said and done, said and done,
that in our words we've lost so much more
than we've ever won.
the aftermath
is cracked wood where fences stood
and the broken bones of our childhood.
in our trembling fear,
we put words inside God's mouth.
we cover our tracks
and get so proud of ourselves,
we get so proud of ourselves,
we get so proud of ourselves
when we get away.
i believe that we've got it wrong, got it wrong.
we'll realize when it's said and done, said and done,
that in our words we've lost so much more
than we've ever won.
it's in our nature to complicate,
but in the end it's the casualties
that carry all the weight.
The song "Unmade" by Sleeping at Last talks about the consequences and aftermath of the words people say. The opening lines suggest that when people were young, their words were innocent and not as powerful as they are now. In contrast, the present situation is dire, as the words people say have the power to cause an avalanche, which can make or break relationships, lives, and plans.
The chorus talks about how people have got it all wrong by not recognizing the power of their words. They will only realize their mistake when they have said what they wanted to say, and it's all said and done. Words have caused more significant losses than victories. The aftermath of using these words is like cracked wood where fences stood, and the broken bones of our childhood, which is a powerful image of how the words can destroy even the most robust relationships and memories.
The song also suggests how people use God as a vessel for their words, putting words in his mouth to justify their actions. In situations where people have said the wrong things, they try to cover their tracks and get away with it by being proud of themselves. However, in the end, it's the casualties – the people who have been affected by their words – who carry all the weight.
In conclusion, Sleeping at Last's song "Unmade" is a powerful message about the impact of words on human relationships, and how people should be careful with what they say to others, to avoid causing unnecessary damage.
Line by Line Meaning
when we were young
Back when we were kids
our words were innocent -
The words we spoke were pure
whiter than snow,
It was so pure just like the snow
awkward and slow.
As inexperienced children, we struggled to find our words
now when we speak,
As adults now, when we talk
we risk an avalanche.
We put ourselves in danger by opening ourselves up to others
but that's not enough now
Despite the risks, we still continue to communicate
to reroute our plans.
We don't let the risks change our course of action
i believe that we've got it wrong, got it wrong.
I think we're mistaken about how we handle communication
we'll realize when it's said and done, said and done,
Eventually, we'll understand our error
that in our words we've lost so much more
Our words have led to a lot of loss
than we've ever won.
We've hardly ever gained anything from our words
the aftermath
The result of our communication
is cracked wood where fences stood
It's damaged relationships where there used to be bonds
and the broken bones of our childhood.
It's ruined pieces of our past and innocence
in our trembling fear,
When we are scared
we put words inside God's mouth.
We try to justify our actions by claiming that God is on our side
we cover our tracks
We try to hide our mistakes
and get so proud of ourselves,
And then we feel accomplished for fooling others in the process
when we get away.
But we never really escape the consequences of our words and actions
it's in our nature to complicate,
We have a tendency to make things more difficult than they need to be
but in the end it's the casualties
In the end, it is the people who suffer
that carry all the weight.
Those people bear the burden of our failure to communicate
Contributed by Eliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Adonai Luzbel
When we were young
our words were innocent
whiter than snow,
awkward and slow.
Now when we speak,
we risk an avalanche.
but that’s not enough now
to reroute our plans.
i believe that we’ve got it wrong, got it wrong.
we’ll realize when it’s said and done, said and done,
that in our words we’ve lost so much more
than we’ve ever won.
The aftermath
is cracked wood where fences stood
and the broken bones of our childhood.
in our trembling fear,
we put words inside God’s mouth.
we cover our tracks
and get so proud of ourselves,
we get so proud of ourselves,
we get so proud of ourselves
when we get away.
I believe that we’ve got it wrong, got it wrong.
we’ll realize when it’s said and done, said and done,
that in our words we’ve lost so much more
than we’ve ever won.
it’s in our nature to complicate,
but in the end it’s the casualties
that carry all the weight.
Eduardo Peixoto
Desfeita
Quando éramos jovens, nossas palavras eram inocentes
Mais brancas que a neve, desajeitadas e lentas
Agora, quando falamos, arriscamos uma avalanche
Mas agora isso não é o suficiente para redirecionar nossos planos
Acredito que entendemos tudo errado, entendemos errado
Vamos perceber, quando estiver dito e feito, dito e feito
Que, em nossas palavras nós perdemos muito mais do que já ganhamos
O resultado são madeiras quebradas onde tinham cercas
E os ossos quebrados de nossa infância
Em nosso medo tremendo, pomos palavras na boca de Deus
Nós cobrimos nossos rastros e ficamos orgulhosos de nós mesmos
Ficamos tão orgulhosos de nós mesmos
Ficamos tão orgulhosos de nós mesmos quando nos afastamos
Acredito que entendemos tudo errado, entendemos errado
Vamos perceber, quando estiver dito e feito, dito e feito
Que, em nossas palavras nós perdemos muito mais do que já ganhamos
É nossa natureza complicar
Mas no final são as vítimas que carregam todo o peso
sugar, spice, and nothing nice
His voice is like a chilly breeze on a summer night.
Green sunflower
This is just so magical... i'm just sad about how and why no more people know it. I feel blessed and thankful
Adonai Luzbel
When we were young
our words were innocent
whiter than snow,
awkward and slow.
Now when we speak,
we risk an avalanche.
but that’s not enough now
to reroute our plans.
i believe that we’ve got it wrong, got it wrong.
we’ll realize when it’s said and done, said and done,
that in our words we’ve lost so much more
than we’ve ever won.
The aftermath
is cracked wood where fences stood
and the broken bones of our childhood.
in our trembling fear,
we put words inside God’s mouth.
we cover our tracks
and get so proud of ourselves,
we get so proud of ourselves,
we get so proud of ourselves
when we get away.
I believe that we’ve got it wrong, got it wrong.
we’ll realize when it’s said and done, said and done,
that in our words we’ve lost so much more
than we’ve ever won.
it’s in our nature to complicate,
but in the end it’s the casualties
that carry all the weight.
José Palomares
If you feel tired or stressed try this: rest in your couch, close your eyes and listen to this with your headphones.
Gwyneth Maratas
This is so beautiful. This song made me realize so many things.
Eduardo Peixoto
Desfeita
Quando éramos jovens, nossas palavras eram inocentes
Mais brancas que a neve, desajeitadas e lentas
Agora, quando falamos, arriscamos uma avalanche
Mas agora isso não é o suficiente para redirecionar nossos planos
Acredito que entendemos tudo errado, entendemos errado
Vamos perceber, quando estiver dito e feito, dito e feito
Que, em nossas palavras nós perdemos muito mais do que já ganhamos
O resultado são madeiras quebradas onde tinham cercas
E os ossos quebrados de nossa infância
Em nosso medo tremendo, pomos palavras na boca de Deus
Nós cobrimos nossos rastros e ficamos orgulhosos de nós mesmos
Ficamos tão orgulhosos de nós mesmos
Ficamos tão orgulhosos de nós mesmos quando nos afastamos
Acredito que entendemos tudo errado, entendemos errado
Vamos perceber, quando estiver dito e feito, dito e feito
Que, em nossas palavras nós perdemos muito mais do que já ganhamos
É nossa natureza complicar
Mas no final são as vítimas que carregam todo o peso
Rafaella Rodrigues
💕
Celis
Wow, la primera vez que la escuchas es increible.
DIY Dream
It feels like being torn apart peice by piece, yet somehow being in a state of comfort and serenity. @ 2:41 an incredible verse. "I believe that we've got it wrong." That about sums up a lot of the troubles and heartache in the world. SAL speaks from down in the soul all the way up to the fibers of your cerebral cortex.
Steven Rossi
I really like how the video subtly conveys the meaning of the lyrics, which I never actually understood until seeing this video.